The Lewisville (Texas) school board has voted to close five elementary schools at the end of the 2024-25 school year.
Community Impact reports that shuttering B.B. Owen, Creekside, Garden Ridge, and Highland Village elementary schools and Polser Elementary STEM Academy is projected to save the Lewisville district around $2.3 million, or about $460,000 per campus, according to district documents.
The district says utility costs such as water and electricity have risen 39% and 61% in the last five years. State funding has not increased since 2019. Enrollment decline was another factor that precipitated discussions on school closures and prompted to board to forgo staff raises for 2024-25.
Officials anticipate enrollment to dip by over 3,000 students in the next decade. At the current state funding allotment of $6,160 per student, this decline would equate to over $18 million in funding loss.
The decline can be attributed to a variety of factors from increasing homeschool and private school attendance, virtual school options and fewer apartment options for younger families in Lewisville.
